Application Foundation Classes
title: "Application Foundation Classes" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["java-platform"] topic_path: "general/java-platform" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_Foundation_Classes" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
The Application Foundation Classes (AFC) were a graphical framework for building Java-based graphical user interfaces (GUIs), developed by Microsoft and shipped as part of the Microsoft SDK for Java. AFC was based on the Abstract Window Toolkit (AWT), but its architecture made it easier to extend components to better fit user needs.
AFC components were announced to be cross-platform, but they worked better with Microsoft Java Virtual Machine,{{cite web | url=http://www.extropia.com/tutorials/java/java_afc_jfc.html | title=Introduction to Web Programming | publisher=extropia.com | quote=There are actually two versions of the AFC. One works with Microsoft's Java Virtual Machine that comes as part of Microsoft Internet Explorer and JDK 1.1 and another that works with the JDK 1.02. The AFC is optimized to work with Microsoft's implementation of Java and should provide higher performance and less system resource use with Microsoft's own Java implementation. | accessdate=2007-07-14| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20070626215112/http://www.extropia.com/tutorials/java/java_afc_jfc.html| archivedate= 26 June 2007 | url-status= live}} and support on non-Windows platform was problematic.{{cite web | url=http://java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/upgrade/javaplatform/ | title=Upgrade to the Official Sun Java Platform | publisher=sun.com | quote=Using technologies like J/Direct (instead of JNI), Windows Foundation Classes (WFC), and Application Foundation Classes (AFC), accessing any Microsoft Windows VM specific classes may require developers to substitute similar standard technologies. | date=October 2003 | accessdate=2007-07-14| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20070814065258/http://java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/upgrade/javaplatform/| archivedate= 14 August 2007 | url-status= live}}{{cite web |url=http://www.dbmsmag.com/9710d02.html |title=Microsoft Wants to Close the Door on Non-Windows Java Applications. |publisher=dbmsmag.com |quote=AFC is currently a Windows-only solution, and like J/Direct, it locks Java developers into Windows. |date=1997-09-26 |accessdate=2007-07-14 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927045248/http://www.dbmsmag.com/9710d02.html |archivedate=2007-09-27
History
The release of AFC (along with J/Direct (instead of JNI), and WFC), was part of an effort by Microsoft to gain leadership on the growing Java community.{{cite web | url=http://www.xent.com/FoRK-archive/july97/0491.html | title=JFC; Microsoft declares war | publisher=xent.com | date=1997-08-01 | accessdate=2007-07-14}}
With the release of Java Foundation Classes, interest for AFC dropped, and they later were no longer maintained.
References
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